ADB vice-president says bank wants to support Bangladesh in power and transport development

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has shown interest in supporting Bangladesh in its development of different sectors, especially power and transport.

Visiting ADB Vice-President Wencai Zhang has also pledged to continue the bank’s support in rural development, education, agriculture and sanitation.
 
His assurance was given during a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Ganabhaban in Dhaka on Saturday, her Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim said.
 
Karim quoted Zhang as saying that the bank was keen on providing assistance in the sub-regional power grid system under the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) inter-regional economic cooperation.
 
The ADB vice-president said the bank wants to help develop agro-processing industries in Bangladesh, along with the country’s infrastructure for transit-transhipment, aiming to boost regional trade facilities.
 
Zhang also hoped Bangladesh would be a high middle-income country by 2021 and a developed one by 2041, Karim said.
 
The prime minister thanked Zhang, saying the ADB has always been supportive to Bangladesh’s development projects.
 
Hasina referred to the BBIN agreement for allowing neighbouring countries to use the airports in Bangladesh and the Mongla sea port, Karim said.
 
Bangladesh may also import hydroelectricity from Bhutan and Nepal to meet the people’s demand, she added.
 
The prime minister said her government insists on building cluster villages to save arable land while striving to reduce the gap between rich and poor.
 
She pointed out that the government's open investment policy was allowing private sector entrepreneurs to invest in any sector they wanted.
 
The government was also working on setting up special economic zones.